Investing in Niagara Health buildings for a green makeover

Energy retrofit project will reduce energy use and operating costs.

NIAGARA, ON: The Niagara Health System is getting a green makeover as we invest approximately $12 million in our seven sites.

Niagara Health has entered into a contract with Ecosystem Ontario to make energy saving retrofits across our sites. When fully implemented, the retrofits will have the same greenhouse gas reduction effect as taking nearly 1,000 vehicles off the road and will also save the hospital $1.2 million annually.

Work will begin shortly with the replacement of boilers that heat the Port Colborne and Niagaraon-the-Lake sites. This work is expected to be completed by winter. Other projects included in the retrofit include ventilation system improvements, heating plant optimization and heat recovery systems at several sites and well as site-specific projects throughout the seven sites.

The value of investments by site are as follows:

Greater Niagara General Site $ 4.1 million

Welland Site 3.7 million

Port Colborne Site 1.7 million

Douglas Memorial Site 1.1 million

Niagara-on-the-Lake Site 432,000

According to Bala Kathiresan, Chief Operating Officer for the Niagara Health System, a total of 25 energy-saving measures should be completed by August 2012.

“These improvements will save substantial amounts of natural gas, electricity and water for years to come. They reduce our ecological footprint and save money in our operations,” Mr. Kathiresan says.

Patients will also notice improved comfort and lighting in Niagara Health sites when the project is complete. The sites will benefit from better regulated temperature control and improved fresh air flow.

The environmental benefits are substantial. When completed, these retrofits will save 1.4 million cubic metres of natural gas, 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 215 million litres of water annually. The estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is 3,190 tons, which has the same effect as taking 1,000 vehicles off the road.

Not only will the project save resources but it also addresses $1.3 million in immediate existing infrastructure issues that need correction, and a further $8 million that would need to be dealt with in the future.

“Ecosystem is very excited to partner with the Niagara Health System on this important project,”says Alex Walker, President of Ecosystem Ontario. “By moving forward with these investments Niagara Health is demonstrating its strong commitment to improving the infrastructure, lowering the operating costs and reducing the ecological footprint of each of its sites.”

Niagara Health received $898,000 in Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Funds from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN for the project and received other subsidies of $472,000.

“As a public institution it is important that we take appropriate action in limiting our ecological footprint. The fact these retrofits will pay for themselves in a little more than eight years is an added bonus,” Mr. Kathiresan says.

Six of Niagara Health’s seven sites will be retrofitted with energy efficient lighting and all seven will have an energy resource awareness program. A complete list of the energy retrofits broken down by site is below.